Bruins dominate all-NSAA volleyball post-season awards

Bruins dominate all-NSAA volleyball post-season awards

NSAA Release

Led by North Star Athletic Association co-Player of the Year Olivia Galas, the Bellevue University volleyball team was well represented on the 2020-21 all-NSAA volleyball teams that were announced today by the league office.

Four Bruins earned first-team honors and one BU player gained second-team recognition. Galas was named the NSAA co-Player of the Year and the NSAA Setter of the Year. Eve Fountain garnered NSAA Freshman of the Year accolades and Trish Siedlik was honored as the NSAA Coach of the Year. 

Joining Galas and Fountain on the first team were juniors Coree Lipovsky and Sierra Athen. Freshman Jacki Apel was honored on the second team. 

Galas led the Bruins and the league with 11.2 assists per set, which ranks sixth nationally. She has recorded 10 double-doubles on the season while accumulating 872 total assists, 213 digs, 85 kills, and 35 blocks. Galas was named the NSAA Setter of the Week four times this season and also garnered NAIA National Setter of the Week accolades on Oct. 13. 

Fountain paced BU 288 assists and was second with 259 digs. She leads the Bruins with 11 double-doubles on the season. Fountain ranked second in the league with a .272 hitting percentage and was third with 3.7 kills per set. She was also second in the league statistics with 0.4 service aces per set.  Fountain earned both NSAA and NAIA National Attacker of the Week honors earlier this season. 

Lipovsky average 1.96 kills per set with a team-leading .287 hitting percentage. She is second on the team with 0.79 blocks per set. 

Athen has recorded 10 double-doubles on the season. She is second on the team with 206 kills and third with 223 digs. 

Apel is third on the team with 2.37 kills per set and fourth with 140 total ills. She is averaging 0.59 blocks per set.  

Siedlik guided the Bruins to their first-ever NSAA regular-season title with a 12-2 league record. The Bruins (16-5) finished second in the NSAA Tournament but earned an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament. The Bruins will host Texas Wesleyan in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round on Saturday, April 17, at Bellevue West High School. Match time is set for 1:00 p.m. 

2020-21 North Star Athletic Association Volleyball Postseason All-Conference & Postseason Awards

First-Team All-Conference

Name

Position

Year

School

Hometown

Olivia Galas $%

S

Junior

Bellevue (Neb.)

Bellevue, Neb.

Victoria Johnson ^%

MH

Sophomore

Mayville State (N.D.)

Roseau, Minn.

Maya Roberts !%

RS

Junior

Viterbo (Wis.)

Watertown, Wis.

Maddie Polzin

OH

Senior

Dakota State (S.D.)

Baltic, S.D.

Eve Fountain

OH

Freshman

Bellevue (Neb.)

Omaha, Neb.

Mason Hart

L

Senior

Mayville State (N.D.)

Moorhead, Minn.

Coree Lipovsky %

MH

Junior

Bellevue (Neb.)

Fairfield, Neb.

Baylie Dashner

OH

Senior

Dickinson State (N.D.)

Palm Desert, Calif.

Kenzie Winker %

OH

Sophomore

Viterbo (Wis.)

Holmen, Wis.

Elora Passa &

S/OH

Sophomore

Mayville State (N.D.)

Barnesville, Minn.

Sierra Athen %

OH

Junior

Bellevue (Neb.)

Red Oak, Iowa

Madalyn Groft

S

Freshman

Dakota State (S.D.)

Mellette, S.D.

Laura Babcock

L

Junior

Presentation (S.D.)

Aberdeen, S.D.

Adrianna Reinhart

L

Junior

Viterbo (Wis.)

Caledonia, Minn.

Second-Team All-Conference

Name

Position

Year

School

Hometown

Mackenna Johnson

RS

Junior

Dickinson State (N.D.)

Grantsburg, Wis.

Peyton Groft

L

Junior

Dakota State (S.D.)

Mellette, S.D.

Karlie Cleveland

S

Junior

Dickinson State (N.D.)

Billings, Mont.

Ashley Pyburn

MH

Sophomore

Mayville State (N.D.)

Nevis, Minn.

Katie Frohmader $%

OH

Senior

Viterbo (Wis.)

Fort Atkinson, Wis.

Hannah Viet

MH

Junior

Dakota State (S.D.)

Parker, S.D.

Jacki Apel

MB/RS

Freshman

Bellevue (Neb.)

Bellevue, Neb.

Katie Juarez

OH

Sophomore

Valley City State (N.D.)

Angels Camps, Calif.

% - 2019 NSAA Volleyball All-Conference First-Team
& - 2019 NSAA Volleyball All-Conference Second-Team
$ - 2018 NSAA Volleyball All-Conference First-Team
^ - 2018 NSAA Volleyball All-Conference Second-Team
! - 2017 NSAA Volleyball All-Conference First-Team

2020-21 NSAA Volleyball Postseason Awards:
Co-Player-of-the-Year:  Olivia Galas – Bellevue (Neb.) and Victoria Johnson – Mayville State (N.D.)
Offensive Player-of-the-Year:  Victoria Johnson – Mayville State (N.D.)
Setter-of-the-Year:  Olivia Galas – Bellevue (Neb.)
Defensive Player-of-the-Year:  Mason Hart – Mayville State (N.D.)
Freshman-of-the-Year:  Eve Fountain – Bellevue (Neb.)
Coach-of-the-Year:  Trish Siedlik – Bellevue (Neb.)
Assistant Coach-of-the-Year:  Michelle Warren – Mayville State (N.D.)

2020-21 NSAA Volleyball Champions of Character
Bellevue (Neb.):  Coree Lipovsky
Dakota State (S.D.):  Peyton Groft
Dickinson State (N.D.):  Abby Moerkerke
Mayville State (N.D.):  Emily Kaasa
Presentation (S.D.):  Morgan Moelter
Valley City State (N.D.):  Jakenda Short
Viterbo (Wis.):   Maya Roberts
Waldorf (Iowa):  Aby Wood